doberman Q&A WITH PAM DEHETRE, VICKI SEILER-CUSHMAN & ADRIAN WOODFORK
VSC: I feed in comparison to other breeds they are very sound in nature, they do their job well. AW: Effective use of social media to show positive images of the Doberman Pinscher’s personality can change the perception of what a Doberman is all about. 6. All things being equal, which color most quickly catches your eye? PD: Quality, not color, catches my eye. VSC: I really do not look at color. Nobility comes in all colors. AW: The answer is blue. Even though I don’t want the blue color in my breeding program, I still feel the color is strikingly beautiful. If there wasn’t a fifty percent chance of a blue dog going bald I would love to have one. 7. What’s the most common fault you see when travel- ing around the country? PD: Gay tails! Tails that are too long! Standard calls for the tail to be docked at approximately the second joint. VSC: Loss of balance, lack of being compact and square and gay tails. AW: The most common fault I find in my travels is the incor- rect tail-set (gay tail and squirrel tail). 8. Are there any traits in this breed you fear are becoming exaggerated? PD: Incorrect tail length. VSC: If there something that stands out when you look at the Doberman, it is wrong (too much front, slanted topline, way over angulated rear, too long). AW: Gay tails. 9. Do you think the dogs you see in this breed are better now than they were when you first started judging? Why or why not? PD: I don’t think they are better than when I started judging but they are definitely better than when I first started in the breed. They are sounder. VSC: When I first started in Dobermans, they were a lovely size, balanced front and rear, good bone. Then we were in a decade of straight fronts, tall, straight rears. Just a box! Then came the decade all Doberman breeders remember, way overdone front, way over done rears, slanted toplines, gay tails. I feel we are transitioning to a better blueprint, but still have a long way to go. Our forebearers have left us this legacy and we owe it to the Doberman Pinscher to judge and reward proper structure. We need to know and understand it, reward it. Then the breeders would breed standard conforming Dobermans. AW: I feel the Doberman Pinscher is evolving quite nicely from where they were 20 years ago. Better fronts and bet- ter toplines. Breeders should pay more attention to bone and substance. 10. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed? PD: The importance of heavy bone combined with a smooth outline and correct tail length.
VSC: On the initial exam walk up and examine the Dober- man, there is nothing to be afraid of. If you seem to be wary, the Doberman will be wary of you. Doberman breeders/handlers know how to show teeth very well. Please know how to count teeth very well. This will make the process good for everyone. Do not talk to the breeder/handler over top of the dogs back, he will turn to listen to what you are saying. Greet the handler as you walk up to the dog if you need a con- versation, then nothing until you are finished. AW: I have noticed that too many judges will not consider a dog with any missing teeth. One or two missing teeth is just a fault like any other fault. All too often a beautiful dog will come into the ring with a missing tooth and the judge will award a dog with many more faults and not consider the one with a missing tooth. A breeder friend of mine had a gorgeous bitch who had two missing teeth. She won best opposite at the Doberman National and then went to become one of the top producing dams of all time (19 champions). New judges should try not to fault judge. All judges should put up the dog with the most pluses. 11. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate. PD: Dobermans want to please their owners. They do very well with something to do. They can be destructive if bored. VSC: We have a wonderful group of DPCA mentors, if you have any questions or concerns, we would love for any judges, current or future, to reach out the the JEC. We are here to help. AW: What I like the most about a Doberman is they are like velcro. They stick with you through thick and thin. They follow you wherever you go and they don’t care if you live in a mansion or a teepee. 12. And, for a bit of humor: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show? PD: What comes to mind is that was funny at the time was about 40 years ago my friend took winners dog back in for me as I had a special. She had heels on and could not run in them so when it was her turn to gait she flipped her shoes off and handed them to the judge. He held her shoes as she trotted down and back! Everyone laughed at the time but this may be one of those “you had to be there” things to think it was funny. VSC: I was showing a Doberman to Don Carter and he said “Make me a triangle” so I said, “Poof, you’re a triangle.” AW: The funniest experience I ever had at a dog show was when I invited my new girlfriend to meet me at a dog show for the first time. I was so nervous I put on the pants from one suit and the coat from another and I never noticed until I was in the ring. She had a big smile on her face the whole time watching me but in the end she married me anyway.
364 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , S EPTEMBER 2018
Powered by FlippingBook